Asthma, monitoring and optimisation of care

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Asthma Checks
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Nearly 1 in 10 of our patients have had asthma and two thirds of these have had some kind of treatment in the last 12 months.

We recommend that all our patients with asthma have a special check for their asthma at least once a year .

Our practice nurse Annie Pyle has had special training in the care of people with asthma, and will be happy to see you.

Why is an asthma check necessary?

Good control of asthma helps to prevent serious attacks and may possibly prevent development of another kind of breathing disorder called COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It improves your quality of life.

Better asthma control can improve your quality of life

Regular checks are designed to make sure that you are having the best treatment for your particular needs.

What happens at an asthma check?

Please bring along any inhalers or other medication you are using for your asthma, because we will want to make sure that you are using your treatment correctly.

Annie will also want to know about any problems you have had, and will look at your peak flow records. If you are a smoker she will be able to offer you help with stopping. She will take a peak flow measurement and if you are a child she may measure your height . If necessary, she will make recommendations about improving your treatment.

Flu immunisation

We recommend that all our asthmatic patients have a flu injection every year around October to November. This may help to prevent severe chest infections and asthma attacks due to flu.

Peak Flow

This is measured with a meter that we can prescribe for you to use at home. It measures how quickly you can expel the air from your lungs. If your peak flow measurement begins to fall it can be an early warning sign of a worsening of your asthma and allows you to adjust your treatment to prevent this.

Spirometry

We sometimes use this special test that involves blowing into a device attached to a computer. It measures the function of your lungs and can help to diagnose asthma and distinguish it from another wheezy chest problem called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is important to tell the which condition you have, because the treatments are slightly different.

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